Raven DeJesus
2-1 Discussion: When Our Cultural Past Becomes Our Future: Issues With
Anthropology's Application
Hello Everyone
One reason why the curators' responses may be considered a partial
representation of history is because war veterans may feel that they are
being portrayed as monsters. A second reason is that it could look like
curators and the museum are victimizing the Japanese when many view
them as the aggressors. In a script describing the exhibit and how it may
be displayed, the Air Force Association, as well as others, interpreted it
as a "depiction of a vengeful America and an attempt to garner sympathy
for the Japanese" (Wright, 2020). The museum curators were met with a
great deal of resistance, having to change the exhibit and proposal
multiple times. Both the American Legion and the Air Force Association
were against the making of the politically correct exhibit, which
documented the process and decision to drop the atomic bomb, the
effect it had on the Japanese civilians that survived, and lastly, how it led
to the cold war and arms race. An article stated, "Three additional
revised scripts were drafted between late August and late October 1994.
Despite negotiations over content and presentation with both the Air
Force Association and the
American Legion
, each version of the script
was met with severe criticism."(Wright, 2020). While the curator's view
may be partial, they were trying to cover all aspects of history during that
time, not just the victories and tragedies the United States faced but the
impact our choices had when deciding to use the atomic bomb.
Unfortunately, due to so much resistance, the curator retired, and the
Enola Gay was put on display with information about its reconstruction
no more than that. Like much of history, events tended only to be told by
the winners. However, it is essential to know both sides of the story.
Reference
wirght, W. (2020, June 25).
Exhibiting the Enola Gay
. Smithsonian
Institution Archives. Retrieved October 31, 2023, from
